It was previously stated that there is no one cause for urban decay. Throughout the past century, cities have deteriorated for a number of reasons ranging from high crime to political corruption, and from poor business to even poorer economies. Examples of decay include Camden, New Jersey, which used to be a thriving port town, and Baltimore, Maryland, which used to be a lively metropolis. Despite the wide variety of conditions for decay, one issue universally plagues towns in decline: crime.

This article continues a small series which will detail crime statistics in America’s most decayed cities. While this article focuses on cities with a population between 100,000 and 500,000, others will focus on varying population groups, and which cities have improved or deteriorated the most through the years.

The key statistics in this examination are murder, rape, robbery and assault. The national averages per 100,000 people are as follows:

Here are the most dangerous cities with a population from 100,000 to 500,000, listed from least to most dangerous:

10- New Orleans, LA

9- Gary, IN

8- Tampa, FL

7- Dayton, OH

6- Atlanta, GA

5- Oakland, CA

While Los Angeles, California tends to grab the spotlight thanks to numerous crime shows and action movies, nearby residents of Oakland know the horrible truth: Oakland is extremely dangerous, and is not for the lighthearted. For Oakland, its murder rate is only beaten by Richmond and the notorious Compton. However, other cities in California cannot compare to its high rate of property theft, such as carjackings. Much of the violent crime is a result of tension between competing African American factions, better known as gangs. For homicides, African Americans make up 77% of the victims, and 65% of the suspects, despite only being about one third of Oakland’s population. Numerous African American celebrities have noted the extreme gang-related crime in Oakland. One such celebrity is Bill Cosby.

4- Cleveland, OH

Commonly featured on programs such as “America’s 25 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods,” on ABC News, much of Cleveland’s high crime is thanks to the rise of gang activity in the 1980′s. With extremely decayed areas such as East Cleveland, it is clear that the city is in a state of disrepair. In certain areas, blocks upon blocks are crumbling to the ground and are crime ridden. As if its poor appearance weren’t enough, just remember that a person is five times more likely to be robbed here, and three times more likely to be raped. Given these statistics, it is no wonder the town has lost over half of its population.

3- Birmingham, AL

At one point, Birmingham had the 10th highest crime rate in the country and the 7th highest murder rate. But, the good news is that the crime rate is on the decline. Thankfully, it reports a 62% decrease in crime, showing that the town is improving. Still, its improvement, despite its vastness, is the equivalent of an F student improving to a slightly better F. In Birmingham, a person is six times more likely to be murdered, three times more likely to be raped, three times more likely to be robbed and twice as likely to be assaulted.

2- Flint, MI

The partial focus of Michael Moore’s film , Flint has suffered greatly thanks to the departure of manufacturing and other forms of industry. Much of the town is either empty, destroyed, or in a state of deterioration. In the last few decades, half of the city’s population has fled the town, and the statistics point to why: in the city, a person is six times more likely to be murdered, four times more likely to be raped, twice as likely to be robbed and six times more likely to be assaulted. These statistics are so bad that it strains the mind attempting to imagine just how bad it must be to live in Flint, MI.

1- St. Louis, MO

Looking at crimes overall, St. Louis has roughly 2480 violent crimes per 100,000, making it five times more dangerous than the national average of 553 violent crimes per 100,000. Only 37% of St. Louis’ population remains, and the statistics are again useful in explaining why this is: aside from a murder rate that is five times higher than the national average, a person is three times more likely to be raped, robbed or assaulted. Also, thanks to the vast amount of deterioration found throughout the city, there is a surprising saying, “When you think of St. Louis, think green.” How could this be the case, given the large amount of abandoned buildings, homes and factories? Many of the decayed areas have been abandoned for so long, that nature is actually reclaiming them. Trees, weeds and other plants are now overtaking what humans once dominated. Given the high crime rate and rapid deterioration, the Gateway to the West could easily be mistaken for the Gateway to Hell.

1- Amherst, NY

2- Irvine, CA

Despite its large population, the city of Irvine, California provides these comforting statistics. A person is roughly 4 times less likely to be raped, 7 times less likely to be robbed, 3 times less likely to be murdered and 11 times less likely to be assaulted. No matter what a person’s view is of this city, there is no denying that these crime statistics are incredible.

3- Cary, NC

With zero murders recorded in Cary, North Carolina, its murder rate is technically infinitely lower than the national average of 7, per 100,000 people.

4- Coral Springs, FL

5- Thousand Oaks, CA

6- Sterling Heights, MI

7- Simi Valley, CA

8- Gilbert, AZ

9- Edison Township, NJ

10- Port St. Lucie, FL

The next article in this series will focus on the top 10 most dangerous small cities in America, with populations ranging from 75,000 to 100,000.

Sources:  and

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